Legacy
by flashingbacktobasics
Summary: "You let my daughter die!" Chloe slapped Beca and screamed in her face. Beca held her cheek and stared back at her wife through broken eyes. "...Our daughter. She was my kid too." Beca and Chloe are married with two children but when their daughter dies suddenly, will they be able to make it through?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Do you guys know how frustrating it is to have your laptop die on the second day of a safari trip in Africa where there are no possible places to either get it fixed or replaced? Well, it sucks. Don't think I've given up on my other story (it's almost finished- just have to translate handwritten to typing) and I will hopefully update that one after work.**

 **However, this one just sprung to me and I couldn't resist! Hope you enjoy!**

Chloe leaned against her car as she switched her attention between her cell phone and the school entrance. She was half-heartedly trying to return work emails, however, the second the school bell rang, Chloe's full attention remained on the front door of the elementary school.

"Mama!"

Chloe's smile grew as she saw her daughter race out of the school.

Lucy threw herself into Chloe's awaiting arms and the redhead cuddled her close.

"Hi, sweet girl! How was your day?"

Chloe put her down before grabbing her backpack and loading it into the car. She listened intently as she helped Lucy into her booster seat.

"…It was good! We got to play with the second graders!"

"Really? Wow, that must have been fun!"

Lucy grinned and nodded excitedly before telling Chloe about the rest of her day. They pulled up in a parking lot outside of a soccer field and Chloe helped Lucy out before taking her hand and leading her over to a field where the ten-year-old girls' team was warming up.

A brunette girl smiled and gave them a small wave when she saw them before continuing to practice.

Chloe smiled as she watched both her girls- Lucy cheering louder than anyone else and Peyton playing her hardest during the game. Her life was perfect… Well, almost perfect. She and Beca had been together since graduation and their life together had been wonderful starting out, but somewhere along the line, between work and kids, they had lost their way.

They had gotten married a year out of college, shortly after Beca had gotten a job producing Emily's album and Chloe had started her teaching degree. When Chloe finished her degree and landed a job, they bought their first house and decided to start a family. Because Beca was becoming more and more successful, they had agreed that Chloe would carry the baby and set out to find a sperm donor.

Unfortunately, it was harder than they thought and after four rounds of IVF, they realized it was too expensive to continue trying with Chloe so they switched to Beca instead. Beca conceived on the first try and they welcomed a beautiful little girl nine months later- Peyton Aubrey Beale-Mitchell.

When Peyton was four and Beca and Chloe both had stable careers- Beca as a successful music producer and Chloe as an elementary school teacher- they decided to try again. It was a hard conception and an even harder pregnancy, but eventually Chloe gave birth to their second little girl- Lucy Elizabeth Beale-Mitchell. Their life seemed perfect.

Chloe snapped out of her thoughts when she felt a tug on her dress and looked down to see her six year old wrapping her arms around her waist. Chloe picked up the little girl and gave her a kiss. Even with all of the struggles they had gone through, it was worth it.

Peyton ran over to Chloe and Lucy once the game was finished and Chloe placed Lucy down to hug her eldest daughter.

"Hi, baby! You played so well! I am so proud of you!"

Peyton frowned. "We lost."

"Maybe, but you tried your hardest." Chloe smiled and cupped the side of Peyton's face. "What do you say we go get some ice cream?" She looked between her girls and smirked. "You can't tell mommy though."

Lucy nodded excitedly and Peyton smirked. Chloe picked up Peyton's sports bag and they made their way to the car with Lucy excitedly retelling her day to her older sister.

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Beca unlocked the front door and dumped her bag and keys on the stand in the foyer.

"I'm home!"

When she didn't get a response, Beca walked through the house and smiled when she saw her family in the kitchen. Chloe was standing over the stove cooking while watching Lucy practice her ballet moves, and Peyton was seated at the counter working on her homework.

"Hey, weirdos."

"Mommy!"

Lucy raced over to Beca and jumped into her awaiting arms. Beca gave her a kiss and hugged her tight.

"Hey, sweetheart. How was school?"

"Really good! We did pictures and counting, and then Mama and I watched Peyton play, and then we got ice cream!"

Lucy quickly covered her mouth when she realized her mistake. She looked between her moms and shrunk sheepishly in Beca's arms.

"Whoops."

Beca smiled and squeezed Lucy before putting her down. "Oh, she did, did she?"

Chloe shot Beca a guilty look and Beca couldn't help but smirk. It didn't surprise her that Chloe gave into the girls.

Beca came up behind Peyton and wrapped her arms around her.

"Hey, babe, how was your game?"

Peyton shrugged and sighed. "We lost."

Beca kissed the top of her head. "I'm sure you tried your hardest."

"She was amazing." Chloe grinned with pride and looked between Beca and Peyton. "She scored two goals."

"You did?" Beca squeezed Peyton lovingly. "I'm so proud of you!"

Peyton smiled and looked between her moms. Despite having lost, it felt good to know that they were proud of her.

"What about you, Lucy goosey? Did you have fun watching your sister play?"

Lucy grinned so widely it could blind a room. "I cheered the best!"

Both Beca and Chloe laughed, exchanging a knowing and loving glance. "You sure did, baby."

It was no secret to anyone how much Lucy adored Peyton. She would follow her around and copy everything she did every chance she had. And although she wouldn't admit it, it was clear how much Peyton loved Lucy too. There had been many nights when Beca and Chloe would check on the girls before going to bed only to realize that one of them had left their room and they were snuggled up together, often with a book that Peyton was reading to Lucy on top of the covers.

"All right, ladies. Time for dinner."

Chloe began dishing up the meals while Beca instructed the girls to go wash their hands. Once they had left the room, Beca went over and gave Chloe a kiss.

"How was your day?"

Beca sighed, rubbing her forehead. "Not terrible, but if I can't get this demo finished I'm sure they're going to drop the client. What sucks is she's really talented, she just doesn't have the confidence."

"You'll figure it out. You always do."

Beca kissed Chloe's cheek before walking out of the room to check on the girls.

Chloe sighed and went back to dinner. She knew Beca was stressed with work, but would it really hurt to put some time into her family?

Once they were finished dinner and Lucy was in bed, Beca disappeared to her studio and Chloe began to clean up. After a few hours of cleaning and grading, Chloe headed to Peyton's room after noticing the time.

"All right, baby, time for bed."

Peyton looked up at Chloe and sighed tiredly. "I haven't finished my homework."

Chloe wrapped her arms around her daughter's shoulders and kissed the top of her head. "Uh huh, and it's almost ten. It's way past your bedtime. You need sleep."

"Ten more minutes?" Peyton looked up at Chloe and gave her the best puppy-dog eyes she could.

Chloe smirked and shook her head, but was secretly proud that her eldest daughter had taken after her rather than Beca when it came to schoolwork.

"Nope, go brush your teeth and change into your pajamas, and mommy and I will be back in a few minutes to say goodnight."

Peyton sighed but complied nonetheless, trudging into her joint bathroom to get ready for bed.

Meanwhile, Chloe headed to their home studio that Beca had insisted on building (and had recently been spending most of her time in) to find the brunette with her headphones on and mixing a track.

Chloe leaned against the doorframe for a while, watching her wife. She didn't understand how they could become so distant in such a short time. The girls were only young but somewhere along the way, Beca and Chloe had emerged themselves in their work and their girls, somehow forgetting about each other.

"Beca?"

When Beca didn't answer, Chloe went over and tapped her shoulder. Beca jumped in her seat before sighing with relief when she saw it was just Chloe.

"Peyton's getting ready for bed."

Beca nodded in understanding. "Okay, I'll be right there. Just let me save this."

When Beca walked into Peyton's bedroom ten minutes later, the little girl was cuddled up against Chloe with the redhead reading her a fairytale. Even though Peyton "claimed" to be too grown-up for bedtime stories, she couldn't resist classic fairytales.

Beca walked over to the bed and snuggled up on the other side of Peyton.

"It's late, love. You should be sleeping already."

Peyton looked between her moms through sleepy eyes. "Will you sing to me?"

Beca and Chloe exchanged a small smile- both Peyton and Lucy asked the same question every night.

"Of course, sweetheart. Just close your eyes."

Peyton did as she was told and Beca and Chloe went to their go-to song. They were too tired to think of anything else and it was the one song that got both Peyton and Lucy to sleep no matter what.

 _"I see the moon, the moon sees me_

 _shining through the leaves of the old oak tree_

 _Oh, let the light that shines on me_

 _shine on the one I love._

 _Over the mountain, over the sea,_

 _back where my heart is longing to be_

 _Oh, let the light that shines on me_

 _shine on the one I love._

 _I hear the lark, the lark hears me_

 _singing from the leaves of the old oak tree_

 _Oh, let the lark that sings to me_

 _sing to the one I love,_

 _Over the mountains, over the sea_

 _back where my heart is longing to be_

 _Oh, let the lark that sings to me_

 _sing to the one I love."_

Once they were sure that Peyton was asleep, both Beca and Chloe gave her a kiss goodnight before locking up the house and heading to their room.

It was quiet as they both got ready for bed. They didn't talk much anymore, not like they used to. Beca was consumed with her work and Chloe, no matter how hard she tried, couldn't break through Beca's priorities so she threw herself into the girls and her work.

"Can you pick Lucy up after school tomorrow?" Chloe asked, once they were both in bed. "I've got a meeting with a parent."

Beca sighed, mentally going over her schedule. "Yeah, sure. I'll rearrange my meeting. She doesn't have dance, right?"

When Chloe shook her head no, Beca continued. "What about Peyton?"

"She has training so she's car-pooling home with Jenna."

Beca nodded. "Okay."

The small DJ turned over and hit the light switch. Chloe stared at Beca's back for a few moments before speaking.

"I love you."

Beca sighed and turned to lie on her back yet didn't make eye-contact with her wife.

They were both staring at the ceiling- a common occurrence over the past few months. It was almost at the stage where it was strange that they were still sleeping in the same bed.

Beca turned her head and met Chloe's eyes.

"Love you too."

Beca's voice was barely a whisper, but it was still there and Chloe could accept that in the mean time.

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Beca awoke to a small knee digging into her ribs and light blonde hair brushing against her face. She opened her eyes to look directly into the deep blue ones already staring at her.

Lucy had her hands on Beca's cheeks and their noses pressed up against each other. She had her knees tucked under her with a big grin on her face.

"Good morning, mommy."

Lucy's voice was slightly louder than a whisper but it quieted even more when Chloe stirred beside them. She giggled as she put a finger to her lips to remind both Beca and herself to be quiet.

Beca grinned before wrapping the little girl up in her arms and pulling her close. She pulled back the covers and tucked Lucy underneath.

"Pancakes?"

Lucy giggled and looked over at Chloe to make sure she was still asleep before turning back to Beca. Chloe wasn't a fan of sugar-filled breakfasts unless it was a special occasion.

"Can I have chocolate chips?"

Lucy shot her mom a sheepish smile and Beca knew she could never refuse it, despite the wrath she would get from Chloe for loading their child up with sugar.

Beca smirked and nodded before scooping Lucy up and carrying her out of the room as quietly as possible. Beca swung Lucy around and piggy-backed her to the kitchen where she sat her down on a stool and began to pull out the ingredients.

By the time Lucy was halfway through her second pancake, Peyton emerged half-asleep.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty."

Beca smirked as she watched Peyton plop herself down on a stool next to her sister. It reminded her so much of how she used to be until the girls came along.

"What are you doing up so early?"

"Well with all of Lucy's singing…" Peyton stopped to glare at her sister. "I couldn't sleep."

Beca laughed through her apology. "Sorry, babe. Do you want some pancakes?"

Peyton looked up between what Beca was cooking and what was on Lucy's plate. "We get chocolate chips?"

"Just don't tell your mom."

""Don't tell your mom" what?""

All three looked up to see Chloe walk into the kitchen with a suspicious grin on her face and folded arms.

Beca shrunk a little and gave Chloe her most convincing, yet sheepish, look. "Uh… That I'm taking Lucy to the park later and you get to take Pey shopping! Surprise!"

Both Lucy and Peyton looked up between Beca and Chloe excitedly. "Really?!"

Chloe sighed and shot a look at Beca but nodded nonetheless. If it meant spending bonding time with one of her girls, Chloe was never going to say no nor get mad.

Chloe shot a smile at her eldest daughter and brushed a hand down her hand. "Yeah, babe. I was thinking we could get you some more clothes for school."

"Sweet!" Peyton jumped out of her seat and ran up the stairs. "I'll go get ready!"

Chloe walked over to Lucy and scooped her up in her arms. "What about you, Miss Lucy? You excited to go to the park with mom?"

"Heck, yeah!"

Lucy followed Peyton's lead and ran up the stairs to get ready.

"Please tell me you did not teach her that?"

Beca bit her lip sheepishly. "Can we blame it on Amy?"

Chloe couldn't help but smirk. She shot Beca one last smile before heading upstairs to get ready herself.

Peyton loved shopping, but even more, she loved spending time with Chloe. So it wasn't a surprise when she rushed Chloe out the door only a half an hour later. However, had it been a weekday, Chloe would be the one dragging her out of bed. She definitely had both of her mothers' traits.

Beca and Lucy had been at the park for less than ten minutes when her phone rang. Looking down to see who it was, Beca knew she had to take the call.

"Careful, baby. Stay where I can see you, okay? Mommy has to take a quick call."

Beca answered and consumed herself within the conversation, momentarily looking over at her youngest daughter.

"Watch me, mommy!"

Beca smiled at her daughter and waved but her attention remained focused on the call. Lucy slid down the slide and ran over the do it again.

She didn't see Lucy crumble to the ground suddenly after pausing for a second in the middle of the playground. She didn't see a little boy call out to his mom when he realized Lucy wasn't getting up. She didn't see when other parents started to make their way over to Lucy, their panic growing. She didn't see when a man approached her to tell her what would turn out to be the worst news of her life.

"Ma'am? Is that your daughter? I think she's hurt."

Beca whipped her head up to look at the man before looking over in the direction of the commotion. She couldn't see Lucy, but there was a group of parents and their kids crowding around in one area.

"I'll have to call you back."

Beca hung up her phone and started to walk over towards the group. She grew more and more anxious as she approached, and her walk soon turned into a run.

"Lucy?"

Lucy was lying unconscious in the middle of the group. Beca pushed her way through the group, her anxiety rising.

"Lucy?!"


	2. Chapter 2

It wasn't real. There was no way that life was currently progressing.

Beca stared at the wall behind her daughter. Lucy Elizabeth Beale-Mitchell. Her name was on the white board above the hospital bed, but it didn't seem real.

" _Lucy?!"_

 _Beca ran over to her daughter and bent down beside her when she realized Lucy wasn't waking up._

" _Lucy? Baby? It's mommy. Open your eyes."_

 _Beca shook Lucy gently but her panic was growing when the little girl didn't open her eyes._

" _Lucy?" Beca was panicking now. "Lucy?!"_

 _There were parents and children standing around the scene but Beca couldn't focus. She shook Lucy harder and started yelling her name before a woman stepped in._

" _What happened?"_

 _Beca was almost crying. "I don't know! She just collapsed!"_

" _I'm a nurse. Let me take a look. Go call an ambulance."_

 _Beca's hands were shaking so badly that she couldn't find her phone. She felt a hand on her shoulder from another parent and heard her telling the paramedics exactly where they were._

 _Lucy's hand was tiny in her own. It seemed smaller than usual._

" _What the hell is going on?!"_

 _Beca screamed as the nurse began to check her over._

" _She's actually not breathing at the moment." The nurse looked at Beca quickly as she tilted Lucy's head back and began CPR. "Has this ever happened before?"_

" _What?!" Beca's voice was half between a scream and a cry. "No! This has never fucking happened before!"_

 _Lucy's body was being crushed by the compressions and it was tearing Beca's heart in two._

 _All Beca wanted was to gather up the little girl in her arms and protect her._

 _The ambulance pulled up a few minutes later and Beca wanted to scream at the paramedics for not moving faster._

 _They made their way over to Lucy and began working on her._

" _Ma'am, is this your daughter?" Beca nodded frantically. "How old is she?"_

" _Six. She's six."_

" _Has anything like this ever happened before?" Beca shook her head, unable to form words. She watched as the other paramedic attached a monitor to Lucy's chest. "Does she have any medical conditions? Any allergies?"_

 _Once again, Beca shook her head and gripped Lucy's hand tightly._

 _Looking between the monitor and Beca, the paramedic in charge updated Beca on what was going on. "Okay, so her heart has actually stopped."_

" _What?!"_

" _We're going to give her some drugs to try and get her heart started again, and we're going to put a tube in her mouth to help her breathe."_

 _Beca could barely concentrate as the paramedics worked. She saw them give Lucy a shot of epinephrine and wanted to cry knowing how much Lucy hated needles. She watched as they pounded on her chest and squeezed air into her lungs. This tiny body was going through hell and Beca couldn't do anything to help._

Beca didn't remember the ride to the hospital. It seemed to take hours but according to the ambulance report, it was only seven minutes.

" _BP?"_

" _90/60."_

" _Pulse rate?"_

" _160."_

 _Beca watched from the front seat as they worked on her daughter in the back of the ambulance. It wasn't real. It couldn't be._

" _What's happening?!"_

 _Beca yelled as she reached over the seat to see her daughter. All she wanted was to hold her._

 _The main paramedic looked up at Beca. "We've actually got her heart beating again at the moment but she's still critical. She's not breathing on her own so we're giving her some assistance and once we get to the hospital, they'll be able to try and help her get her breathing started on her own."_

 _Beca raced down the hallway of the hospital to the ER, gripping Lucy's hand the entire way._

 _The doctor and nurses that met them in the emergency bay of the parking lot immediately approached the stretcher._

 _The main paramedic gave the details as they wheeled her in to trauma. "Six year old female collapsed in the playground, sudden cardiac arrest, no external injuries, no known illnesses or allergies. Pulse rate currently 156, BP 80/40. She's on 90% O2. We've given 40mg of epinephrine."_

" _Take her to trauma one."_

 _The doctor instructed the paramedics then turned to Beca. "Ma'am, I need you to wait out here."_

" _No!" Beca lost the grip she had on Lucy's hand and tried to get past the doctor only to get held back._

The waiting room was the definition of hell.

Beca was either going to pass out, throw up, or strangle someone if she didn't hear something soon. Her heart was aching, her mind was spinning, and all she wanted to do was see her daughter.

Beca was pacing back and forth in the waiting room with a social worker trying to talk to her. She had given the lady her cell phone when she had asked if there was anyone she wanted her to contact and Beca simply instructed to call the speed dials. Since then, Beca hadn't said a word.

It wasn't until she heard the familiar sound of stilettos running toward her that Beca looked up. Aubrey and Stacie were sprinting toward her through the hallway.

Beca was engulfed in a hug before she could even process what was happening. She didn't have the mental or physical strength hug back, but Aubrey and Stacie's presence was welcomed.

They didn't get to ask Beca what was going on before the doctor entered the waiting room and called out for the social worker.

After talking briefly, the social worker came back over to Beca and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Why don't we go somewhere to talk privately?"

It was more of a suggestion than a question, and Beca could tell by the look on her face that it wasn't good news.

Beca drew away from all three women and stepped backwards, trying to hold onto a little bit of hope.

She shook her head frantically and covered her mouth as she tried to stop from crying or puking… or more than likely, both. Stacie was already crying and Aubrey was barely holding on.

"Ma'am, I really think we should go somewhere private."

The doctor stepped towards Beca causing the small brunette to take another step back.

"Just tell me."

Again, the doctor took a step towards her causing Beca to lose it.

"Tell me!"

The doctor sighed and looked between the social worker and Beca. "Ma'am, we did all we could. Lucy wasn't able to start breathing on her own and she went into cardiac arrest again. We weren't able to revive her. I'm very sorry to tell you but your daughter died."

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Chloe raced through the hallways of the hospital with Peyton trying her best to keep up. Peyton tried to ignore the pain of her mom's grip on her hand.

Chloe let go of Peyton's hand the second they entered the room and saw Beca sobbing, almost screaming in heartbreak, over Lucy's still body.

Lucy, dressed in one of her favorite pink dresses, simply looked like she was sleeping.

Chloe didn't feel her knees buckle or her body drop to the floor. She didn't feel anything, she couldn't; the pain was too overwhelming.

Beca held Lucy's body close to her and cried heartbreaking cries. She looked over at Chloe and they met eyes.

"She's gone."

It was as a whisper but Chloe heard it. The heart-wrenching wail that came out of her mouth was harder than anyone in the room could bare.

Chloe stumbled over to the bed and pulled herself up over Lucy's body, sobbing as she gripped her clothing.

"Noooo! Lucy!" Beca was pulled back by Stacie as she watched in agony as her wife grieved. "Lucy! Baby! Lulu… Lucy…"

Beca sobbed and felt her knees buckle but was held up by Stacie. Chloe lifted Lucy into her arms and rocked back and forth.

Peyton stood back, afraid and not sure what to do. She tried to shrink back against the wall but bumped into Aubrey instead. Aubrey instantly wrapped her arms around the girl and held her close as she tried her best to comfort her through her moms' heartbroken cries.

"Shh… Sweetheart, I've got you."

Aubrey had tears streaming down her face. She wanted to tell Peyton that it was going to be okay but as she watched Chloe and Beca on their knees and screaming and crying over Lucy's tiny body, she couldn't lie. Her best friends were broken, her goddaughter was in shock… And Lucy was gone.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Beca stared as the doctor tried to explain what had happened… How a seemingly perfectly healthy six-year-old girl had collapsed and died in the middle of a playground.

"What are you saying? How does a healthy six-year-old just drop dead?"

Beca's voice was a mixture between anger and heartache. She hadn't cried yet, at least not properly. Chloe, on the other hand, hadn't been able to stop crying nor been able speak.

The doctor could sympathize with how hard it was for all of them to understand so she repeated her exclamation, trying to put it more in Layman's terms.

"Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, or HCM, is one of the most common causes of deaths when it comes to children. It's a genetically inherited condition, and usually, if a parent has it, the child will be tested. Most of the time there are no symptoms. However, in some rare cases, it can lead to a heart attack and ultimately death. What appears to have happened in Lucy's case is that her heart simply gave out. It seems that she suffered a massive heart attack although we will have to perform an autopsy to make sure."

Chloe couldn't breathe and Beca felt like she was going to throw up. Peyton sat in between them and didn't properly realize what was going on so focused on the fact that she couldn't feel her hands anymore because her moms were squeezing them so tightly.

Both Aubrey and Stacie stood off in the corner and listened as best they could. They knew Chloe and Beca would need to hear it all again later.

Chloe squeezed Peyton's hand a little stronger and Stacie noticed the young girl's discomfort. She slowly approached the three of them and put a hand on both Chloe and Beca's shoulders, already prepared for when they flinched.

"Why don't Bree and I take Peyton for a little walk, okay? Just down to the cafeteria to get some food?"

Chloe and Beca exchanged a glance for the first time in hours before looking at Peyton. It was clear how hesitant they were to let their daughter out of their sight, but they also trusted Aubrey and Stacie and they knew Peyton was struggling.

Chloe wrapped her arms around Peyton who hugged her back just as tightly. She exchanged a glance with Aubrey who knew exactly what she was saying- "Stay close and take care of my girl.". Beca took a little longer to let go of Peyton but once she did, the girl placed a kiss on both of her mothers' cheeks and reached out for her aunts' hands.

Beca and Chloe watched as Peyton left the room with Aubrey and Stacie before turning back to the doctor. Chloe reached over and grabbed Beca's hand but failed to make eye contact.

The doctor looked at the women sympathetically and Beca couldn't help but hate her for that.

"There will need to be an autopsy on Lucy but you can spend a little time with her beforehand."

Beca met Chloe's glance and knew what the redhead was thinking… They needed to be with their daughter.

Lucy looked like she was sleeping. She looked peaceful.

Chloe hesitated in the doorway but Beca couldn't wait. As much as she wanted to support her wife, she wanted to hold her daughter more.

Lucy's body was still slightly warm when Beca picked her up gently and cradled her in her arms. She kissed her forehead before looking over at Chloe who still stood in the doorway.

A few moments later, Aubrey came up behind Chloe and placed a hand on her back. Chloe flinched but relaxed after a few seconds.

"Don't worry, Peyton is with Stacie in the waiting room." Both Beca and Chloe relaxed when Aubrey answered their unasked question. "Emily dropped off some clothes for Lucy. Her favorite dress and shoes. You don't have to take them, but we thought it would be a good idea if you wanted to change her."

Chloe shakily took hold of the clothes and let Aubrey lead her over to the bed.

Beca didn't even look up as the two approached, silent tears rolling down her cheeks.

It didn't feel right changing her. Her whole life, Lucy had squirmed and made a fuss whenever anyone tried to help her change. According to the little blonde, she was a "big" girl and old enough to dress herself from basically the moment she could talk. Plus she was as fussy as Chloe when it came to her clothing choice.

Now, her body was cold. There was no squirming. She was heavier than usual. She didn't put up a fight… Beca and Chloe both wished she did.

Beca gently cradled Lucy while Chloe slowly slipped her out of the dress she was already wearing. One of her shoes was already lying on the floor so Chloe gently removed the other one. It didn't feel right unbuckling a little girl's shoe, knowing she would never wear them again.

Chloe gently slipped the dress Emily had brought for them- Lucy's favorite- over her head and pulled it down.

Aubrey and Stacie had brought the dress for Lucy a few months before when they had taken both Peyton and Lucy on an aunts/nieces day out, and Lucy wanted to wear it whenever she could.

The blush pink dress, white shoes and white cardigan were perfect. It almost seemed like Lucy was just sleeping.

Beca gently handed Lucy over to Chloe who cradled her close while Beca softly began to brush her hair.

Beca was never a girly-girl. That was Chloe's thing- Chloe was the one who took the girls shopping, who helped them pick out clothes, and who Beca was certain they would go to whenever they needed help with "girl" problems, but hair was Beca's thing. Peyton was a braids girl, but Lucy loved having her hair brushed, style, anything, as long as it was Beca who was doing it.

Lucy's hair flowed softly through the brush and Beca felt a tear slip down her cheek. She quickly swiped it away but not before Chloe noticed.

They barely made it four steps out of the room after leaving Lucy.

Chloe ran back into the room, gasping for air as she did. Beca quickly followed.

It took Chloe exactly an hour and sixteen minutes later to be able to leave the room. It took Aubrey and Stacie almost half an hour to get Beca, Chloe and Peyton into their car. It took Aubrey even longer to get Chloe into the house.

Peyton was almost as tall as Beca but that didn't stop the brunette from picking her up. Stacie unlocked the front door and placed a hand on Beca's back as the three of them entered the house.

"Can I get you anything? Tea? Coffee?"

Beca shook her head so Stacie turned to Peyton. "How about you, sweet girl? Are you hungry? I can make you a grilled cheese with pickles."

Stacie smiled at the girl who simply shook her head. Chloe rarely let both Peyton and Lucy have their favorite sandwiches- grilled cheese with pickles for Peyton and fluffernutter for Lucy- but they never turned them down when they had the option.

Peyton whispered something in Beca's ear and Beca nodded before placing her down and watching as she slowly made her way up the stairs.

Beca rarely cried. She cried when her grandmother died. She cried on her wedding day (albeit in secret)… And she cried when her daughters were born. But now, standing in the foyer of the home she and Chloe had created with their children, Beca couldn't stop herself from covering her face and breaking down.

Stacie caught her as her knees buckled and rocked her back and forth. The taller brunette felt helpless- how do you comfort someone who has just lost their child?

It was only when Aubrey brought Chloe in that Beca was able to attempt to compose herself. She swiped away her tears and shakily stood up to take Chloe's hands into her own.

"Where's Peyton?" Chloe's voice was raspy from the tears.

Beca nodded towards the stairs, her voice just as husky. "Upstairs."

Chloe nodded but didn't say anything else. Instead, she let go of Beca's hands and Aubrey's support before shakily making her own way upstairs.

Aubrey and Stacie exchanged a glance but Beca couldn't take her eyes off of her wife.

It took a few moments but Aubrey finally spoke up, taking Beca's hand when she did.

"What can I do?"

Beca was on the verge of tears once again at that question.

"Bring my daughter back."

Beca checked on Chloe before heading to Peyton's room. The redhead had cried herself to sleep, cuddled up with Lucy's American Girl doll and wrapped under Lucy's favorite blanket, just as Beca had expected.

Daisy was Lucy's favorite thing in the entire world, besides her family of course. She was originally a Caroline doll, but Lucy insisted on naming her after her favorite flower- a daisy.

Beca knocked on Peyton's door before walking in and taking a seat on her bed.

"Hey, baby… It's time for bed."

Beca tried to force a smile but her red-rimmed eyes and quivering voice didn't help.

Peyton shook her head and continued to read. Beca reached over and gently took the book out of Peyton's hands.

"What's this?"

It took Peyton a few moments to respond. "Alice in Wonderland."

Beca waited a few seconds, knowing that Peyton had more to say.

"We were almost finished. We would have finished tonight."

Beca didn't think her heart could break anymore than it did in that moment. Ever since Peyton could read, she had read to Lucy every night. As far as sisters could go, Peyton and Lucy were closer than close. Sure, Lucy would annoy Peyton and Peyton would act like Lucy was being a little brat, but when they were alone, they were closer than ever.

Beca didn't know what to do. "Do you want to finish it with me?"

Peyton shook her head and tried to hold back her tears but could only manage for a moment. She gripped the book in one hand and covered her face with the other as the crying broke through.

"No…. Please just go, mommy."

Beca was either going to break down right there or yell and scream and try to forget that her baby girl was dead. She couldn't do either, not to Peyton.

Instead, Beca prolonged a kiss to Peyton's forehead and hugged her as tight as possible before letting go.

"I love you so much."

Peyton's voice was racked with tears but she managed to respond. "I love you too."

Beca hated leaving Peyton. Absolutely hated it. But she knew her daughter needed some time alone.

Stacie and Aubrey were waiting in the hallway and silently let Beca know that they would wait outside of Peyton's room if she needed anything.

Beca shakily walked out of the room and down the hall. She stood outside of Lucy's room and traced her fingers along the letters that spelt out Lucy's name on the door. Pink and sparkly- classic Lucy.

Beca knocked but didn't wait for an answer before entering. Even though Chloe was already asleep, she knew that she would wake up within a second.

Chloe was subconsciously rocking back and forth on the bed with Daisy clutched tightly in her arms. She appeared asleep but Beca could see the nightmare on her face. It was both an awake and an asleep nightmare, and neither of them could escape it.

Beca slowly climbed in behind Chloe and wrapped her arms around her wife. She breathed in Lucy's scent from the bed and gripped Chloe even tighter. Chloe woke, but she couldn't do anything but cry and pull Beca tighter.

How could one moment change everything?


End file.
